


B'shert

by OwlBeDamned



Series: Soulmates AU [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A minor mention of an abusive relationship, AHAHA KOGANE AND GOSHIKI AS CO-WORKERS, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Friendship, Humor, Insecurity, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Not your typical Coffee Shop AU though as you can see by the summary..., Online Dating, Romantic Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-07-29 03:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7668733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlBeDamned/pseuds/OwlBeDamned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hmm, can you give me a venti java chip frap with extra whipped cream?"</p><p>"S-Sure! Anything else?" he asked politely, trying to suppress his blatantly obvious feelings and not blurt out something embarrassing again. As he wrote down the order and punched the appropriate numbers in the cashier, he also took a swig of water from his bottle to quench the dry sensation in his throat after hours of talking in his shift.</p><p>The customer frowned, rubbing his chin for a few seconds before having a little 'a-ha!' moment (which Asahi was really cute - wait, what?) and then looking at him straight in the eye with a determined expression, although his cheeks were tinted with a light rouge.</p><p>"Yeah, um, maybe...some of your tight ass?"</p><p>Asahi spat water all over the customer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> b'shert באשַערט (n., Yiddish Hebrew) - lit. "destiny"; the seeking of a person who will complement you and whom you will complement perfectly.

"I am sorry, but I don't think this is working out."

  
Asahi Azumane was cleaning the counter, wiping the sides meticulously with a green rag that matched Starbucks' logo, when he heard those fated words and he froze entirely. His face paled in anticipation and sweat rolled down the side of his face as he slowly looked up and found the source of the conversation. His skin slowly got colder and chills creeped down in his spine, as a horrified expression etched through his features.

  
In table #16, two teenagers sat face-to-face, across from each other. They looked to be first-years in high school. The boy was a tall, tough, dark and lean, wearing modest clothes, sporting a few intimidating scars in his arms and wearing a pair of glasses that sat comfortably on the bridge of his nose. On the other hand, the girl was his stark opposite: cute, petite and blonde, wearing too much pink and expensive perfume that Asahi could smell even though they were all the way across the shop.

  
_Oh no. Not again._

  
It was the sixth day of February, and even as the so-called 'month of love', heartbreak and disaster followed in its wake. Asahi knew that love could be an incredible thing, but at the same time, it was a double-edged sword - and the nightmare of baristas.

  
After all, in February, the Starbucks he worked at would fill up like a movie premiere and with huge crowds came the hellish amounts of orders from lovesick couples and the general public. There also came social interaction, which he always dreaded. Even though he was a barista, sometimes during these hectic rushour sessions, he was asked to fill in at the cashier.

  
But what was worse for Asahi were the rise in breakups that happened in the shop during the month. Apparently, coffee shop breakups had become popular. Asahi technically couldn't force them to do anything, but...Couldn't people at least do it quietly? Asahi always got nervous from the shouting and the arguing from the break-ups, and he was sure that some of the other clients felt it too. 

 

This breakup would be the 18th time in the last week, the third of the day.

  
" _What do you mean_ it's not working out, Toshi-kun?" the girl hissed.

  
"Exactly what I mean by it," the boy said solemnly. He sighed. "Amane-san...I want to break up."

  
" _What?_ " she shouted. "Toshi-kun, it's almost Valentine's Day. Why would you do this? Why would you break my heart? That's unacceptable! You have some nerve, you do, to do this, Toshi-kun. I'll be the laughingstock of the school! Me, the prettiest girl in our grade, getting dumped in the month of love? You can't do this."

  
"It's not you, it's me-"

  
"Of course it's fucking _you_ , you little bitch!" she screamed angrily, her fury erupting as she stood up and glared at him. Several heads turned to watch their spectacle, if they hadn't been doing so already. "I bet you're cheating on me with my sister or something, and that is why you're ending things between us!"

  
"No! I swear, it's not. That's crazy - you don't even _have_ a sister! And even if you did, I wouldn't do that to you. I just want to focus on final exams-"

  
"That's the biggest piece of bullshit I've heard!" she spat out.

  
She then grabbed her barely touched cappuccino and dumped it all on the boy, humphing and making her way out of the shop, somehow half-stomping and half-sashaying, as she fumed. She angrily slammed her door on the way out and Asahi winced, looking at the boy. The boy had screamed upon contact with the hot coffee, although he didn't seem to be burned particularly bad. He was hissing and desperately trying to clean himself.

  
Asahi sighed. _Not again._

  
He walked out of the counter and headed over there, hovering over the table nervously, still unsure of how to deal with the happened events. After all, he usually left these things to his co-workers, who were much better at dealing with them. The barista looked at the boy.

  
"Umm...maybe you shouldn't have let her get a hot drink?" Asahi said awkwardly.

  
The guy scowled at him. "Could you just get me a towel, please?"

  
"O-Oh! S-Sure," he nodded and headed back to the counter.

  
Almost as in cue, from the back door marked in bold words STAFF ONLY, two of Asahi's co-workers came out, much to his relief. Asahi walked towards them.

  
"YO! We're back," exclaimed Taketora loudly. He came forth unexpectedly to hit Asahi on the shoulder, a move that was meant to be friendly but was so hard, that it nearly gave him a heart attack and a dislocated joint.

  
"Thank God," said Asahi weakly. He pointed in the general direction of table #16, where the boy was still wiping at his clothes and cursing profusely.

  
"What happened - oh," said Yaku, his voice going from confusion and concern to _I'm so fucking done_ in 0.3 seconds. "Again? What the fuck is this place, 'Break-Up Café'? Maybe we should put up a sign."

  
"I agree, Yaku-san! These damn punks are getting annoying," howled Taketora excitedly. "Hey, hey! Can I be the one to make it? I can get started on it right now-!"

  
"Sure, Taketora, but we should probably first make sure that the kid in #16 didn't get any degree burns from the cappucino that was dumped on him by his ex-girlfriend. Why don't you go deal with it?" suggested Yaku. With a cheerful chirp and a quick nod, Taketora efficiently went over there with a towel and started helping the boy. Meanwhile, Yaku turned back to him. "Where are Moniwa and Futakuchi? They should be here with you."

  
"A-Ah! They were, but there was, um, an incident in table #5 outside," replied Asahi. "It was an orange alert situation. Both of them had to go outside to clear it up and clean everything."

  
"Orange Alert? That bad?" sighed Yaku. "Jeez, February sucks. This _always_ happens." He looked up at the tall barista. "It's a miracle you've survived with us, Asahi. Why did you even change your work hours, anyways? People are calling this shift the 'Suicide Shift' now, because they claim only 'suicidal' people could have the guts of signing up for it."

  
"I can tell why," muttered Asahi.

  
Asahi had taken a job as a barista in this local Starbucks quite only under his friend's insistence. Suga, because he had been taking care of his sick mother, had been forced to take college courses online and maintain a flower shop business, but had encouraged Asahi to go. He had insisted that taking a part-time job not only would give him some extra money, but would allow him to know new people and go out of his cozy dorm.

  
Everything had been fine. He'd signed up for a late shift that had been quiet and relatively inactive, where the maximum amount of tables filled was only six, and he hadn't needed to interact with anybody. After all, as a barista, he just had to make the drinks.

  
However, after a new class popped out of almost nowhere, Asahi had needed to reschedule his part-time and had spoken to his manager about it, asking to be moved up to an earlier shift, which happened to be the one he currently was in.

  
Even back then, though, there were the rumors. Asahi had chosen to ignore them, but he knew they were there. Vicious rumors about hectic rush hours, about messy incidents, about emotional meltdowns and crisis in the job, about the mess and fatigue, about the onslaught of clients during that shift. They were so popular, in fact, that even the superiors shuddered in horror at its mention.

  
"Are you sure you want to switch over to that shift, Azumane-san?" his former manager had asked when he'd made the request. "Maybe you've heard the rumors, but it can be, quite... _special_."

  
"Uhh..." Asahi had paused, anxiously swallowing his nerves and saliva. "I-I have, sir, but I think I'll be able to handle it. Besides, I need to accomodate for my college classes."

  
"...Okay, then. As you wish. I hope you understand your actions. I'll inform you of the changes and you can come to work as soon as you can, Azumane-san," the manager had replied slowly, looking at him with an expression that said ' _oh, you poor, poor misguided child_!'

  
Six months later, Asahi regretted several of his life choices deeply. 

 

* * *

  
"Ryuu, I don't need a date."

  
Nishinoya was lounging on one of the chairs, watching as Tanaka slipped his disposable gloves out of his slender fingers and threw them in one of the trash cans, heading towards one of the shop's nearby sinks to wash his hands after a job well done.

  
It had taken a few hours, but his bro extraordinaire had managed to draw one of his most beautiful works to date: a fiery phoenix, spreading its flaming wings wide as it rose from a pile of ashes. The client, a shy petite blonde girl who shook like a chihuahua the whole time, had told them it was her way to make it through her breakup. Tanaka and Noya had both chuckled, and the tattoo artist had whistled at her impressive coping mechanism. The girl had just blushed.

  
Tanaka rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Oh yeah? And we don't need the sun."

  
Noya narrowed his eyes at him. "I seriously don't, Ryuu. I'm fine as I am right now! And I go out a lot anyways-"

  
"When was the last time you did?" retorted his bro, turning at him. "Oh, I know! Like _a thousand years ago_. I don't think we've even hung out properly this entire month!"

  
"We went to McDonald's yesterday, Ryuu."

  
"That doesn't count as hanging out! I'm talking about _a whole day_. A whole day of doing things! Just like we used to! You know, going to eat, watching movies, travelling, playing volleyball, messing with people, criticizing shitty stuff, making awesome jokes, going clubs and parties, protecting Kiyoko-san from people unworthy of her presence...stuff like that! Now all you do is hide in your university dorm like a hermit and never come out."

  
"I have work, Ryuu-"

  
"Haha, nice one! You know you can't lie to me. I know you like I know myself! Let's be honest. Maybe you do work, but most of the time, you wrap yourself up in your blankets like a tiny burrito and watch that Western show...what was it-?"

  
"...Desperate Housewives..."

  
"- _Desperate whatever_ , while juggling a tub of ice cream on your lap and closing yourself off the world like the anti-social creature you are slowly becoming! And you're slowly forgetting your bro."

  
Nishinoya looked at Tanaka, clenching his heart in fake hurt. "Bro, you _know_ I'd never forget you! You're the Bromeo to my Dudeliet in our epic bromance."

  
Tanaka clenched his heart in return. "And you're my Libro, bro. You know, because you were born October 10th, so you're a Libra, and you're my bro...."

  
"Bro."

  
"Bro!"

  
The two threw themselves on top of each other and were tied in a bromantic embrace. However, after a few minutes of the lung-squeezing hug, they let go and Tanaka went back to cleaning his hands and organizing his supplies.

  
After highschool, Tanaka had decided to go on a gap year before deciding to attend university. He had travelled to Europe and backpacked the whole continent, going from country to country on his own. He had seen many wondrous sights, had experienced marvels and had had what people could call an epiphany. He had decided that education wasn't his thing. After he'd gone to Greece, he had been particularly inspired and had taken an internship with a secret master whose name he hadn't even told Noya. Then, he had returned to Japan, deciding not to go to college (much to Saeko's fury) and had established his own tattoo shop.

  
He had called the stylish place "Meraki", which was a Greek untranslatable word for "the soul, creativity or love put into something; the essence of yourself that is put into your work". After gaining all the right permits and authorizations, it had slowly risen in popularity and renown, becoming a popular site for people.

  
It was also right next to a cute flower shop run by a silvery-haired man with warm brown eyes who Nishinoya had dubbed 'Refreshing-san' behind his back (the guy smiled and fucking _glowed_ like a lantern every day).

  
Refreshing-san had also employed the most beautiful girl they had ever encountered, the treasure that was the lovely Kiyoko Shimizu. They had befriended her (well, she'd ignored them for the first 10 minutes of their encounter), become enamoured with her, and ever since then, they had swore to protect her from unworthy foes and vulgar men no matter what. They'd even recruited their friend, Taketora!

  
Suddenly, interrupting Noya's line of thought, the door opened and the bells chimed. A scrawny-looking teenager with the worst green-pink dye he'd ever seen entered, wearing scruffy clothes and boasting a lip piercing. He didn't even look like he was in high school (but then, people mistook Noya for a grade schooler all the time, and it pissed him off, so...).

  
"Yo," said the teenager. "Can you give me a tattoo?"

  
"Are you even in high school?" asked Tanaka, wiping his hands with a towel and narrowing his eyes at the boy suspiciously.

  
The boy looked back "...I'm in junior high."

  
"Sorry kiddo, no can do," said Tanaka, shaking his head. "It's illegal to tattoo a minor."

  
"What? But-!"

  
"Nope," Tanaka said firmly.

  
"That's not fair!" whined the teenager frustratedly, like a spoiled child. Then he huffed, rolling his eyes rudely. "Fine, whatever. Your place looks shitty anyways. I don't need you. I'll just get a scratcher to do it instead..."

  
"By all means, go ahead, lil' punk," snorted Tanaka at the boy. "And then you'll get Hepatitis C!"

  
The boy growled, stomped angrily out and slammed the door.

  
"I hate punks like that," said Tanaka annoyedly, putting his drying rag on its rack. Then, he walked to the seat next to Nishinoya, smirking. "Anyways, back to you! Did you think you were going to change the topic and distract me? No way! Even though you're my greatest bro. C'mon, man! Just try dating again. _Please_! Go out there, Yuu. Who knows? Maybe you'll find your soulmate."

  
"Now this is about soulmates? Look who's talking," Nishinoya pointed out. "You haven't even found yours! How can you talk about me finding mine?"

  
At the mention of his soulmate, Tanaka let out an excited whoop and took out his shirt, using it to animatedly shake it above him. Tanaka's soulmate was one of the things that could get him genuinely happy and was something that made his mood better no matter what.

  
After all, it seemed as if he and Tanaka would fit in perfectly. Written on Tanaka's chest, on top of his well-carved pecs and below his sharp collarbone, were words printed out in an artistic print, slanted and slightly curvey, written as if in a rush with barely-there i's. The beautiful bold black of the ink of fate was so deep and special, that it stood out even in the heavily tattooed expanse of Tanaka's muscular body: **Well, fate is a salty bitch, isn't it?**

  
"That's because mine has to be a god among men!" exclaimed the tattoo artist proudly, grinning from ear-to-ear, pointing to his now bare chest with his thumb. "Someone so amazing can't just be found around the corner, ya know? And when you're dealing with deities, you can't rush things!"

  
"Whatever you say, Ryuu," he replied, rolling his eyes.

  
"I'm serious! Soulmates might be determined by fate, but you need to make an effort too. I bet the other guy is working hard to find you, and you're probably making it really hard! Besides, a hamburger can't cook itself on the grill, right?"

  
"Did you just compare my love life to a food, Ryuu?!"

  
"What I'm saying, Yuu," Tanaka pressed on, "is that you need to be bold! Just like you usually are. I don't know why you suddenly turn into a shy, hesitant guy when it comes to romance, but you need to take on fate face-on!"

  
"And how do you suggest I do that?" Noya sighed, crossing his arms against his chest.

  
"Let me set you up! _Matcha!_ is great, I swear. It'll work wonders! I'll make you a profile and I'll give you a date. Don't you trust me, your bro extraordinaire? I totally will-!"

  
"Hey...hey...hey..."

  
They were suddenly interrupted by the door opening again, and the deflated words uttered by the usually excitable regular that walked in. Bokuto Koutarou, with his hair wet and down (down!), lacking any of his usual vigor, dragged his feet across the shop floor as the two of them watched him in silence, and dumped himself on one of the tattoo shop chairs, looking as miserable as a kid denied from a rollercoaster ride.

  
"Hey, Kou," said Noya gently, moving to sit next to his friend. "How are you?"

  
"Life sucks," pouted Bokuto.

  
Tanaka and Noya exchanged quick looks, sharing the same words in their own secret language, and Tanaka moved swiftly through the shop to sit in the chair next to Bokuto, his words as soft and soothing as Noya's. He leaned back, trying to be as relaxed and casual as possible for his sad friend.

  
"Another guy?" the tattoo artist sighed empathetically.

  
Bokuto nodded slowly, lowering his head sadly.

  
"It's Mitsuki, isn't it? Well, he was a little two-timing shit anyways," said Noya loudly. "You deserved way better! He's a gold-digger, a womanizer, a good-for-nothing piece of crap-"

  
"And has a huge stick up his ass," added Tanaka helpfully.

  
Bokuto said nothing, but sniffed.

  
"Aww, don't cry, you big baby owl!" exclaimed Noya, jumping forward to give him a hug. Bokuto accepted the embrace, taking a few more sniffs, and quietly tightened his hold on Noya (damn, he couldn't breath, those arms...). Tanaka joined the hug as well, and for a while, it was just the three of them, together in a warm, comforting hug.

  
_This is why I don't want to date,_ Nishinoya said with his eyes to his bro, without Bokuto noticing. _If someone as cool as Bo can end up like this..._

  
_Brooo, don't exaggerate. Not every date leads to inevitable heartbreak,_ said Tanaka back visually, rolling his eyes.

  
Eventually, they let go and Bokuto eventually spoke.

  
"He...He cheated on me," he whispered.

  
"That bastard! I'm going to fucking rip his face apart-"

  
"No need for that, Noya. I could do that myself. But we both can't spend another night in a prison cell," said Tanaka. They had spent a night in a prison cell for sneaking into USJ and wanting to get on the teacups. The artist turned to Bokuto. "C'mon, man. There are other fish in the sea!"

  
Bokuto shook his head. "I don't think I'm ever going to find them..."

  
"Oh, don't you worry, big guy!" exclaimed Tanaka, patting him in the shoulder affectionately. "You'll find them eventually." Then he gave Noya a sharp look. " _At least you try your best_."

  
Noya rolled his eyes.

  
"How about I give you a tattoo? On the house!" said Tanaka, trying to cheer their heartbroken buddy out.

  
It worked.

  
Bokuto's eyes lit up and a smile cracked through his sullen features. " _Really_?!"

  
"Yup. Anything you want."

  
"Oh! Reeeaallly? Yay! OK, OK, I have like an idea. Maybe you could tattoo the wings of an owl on my shoulders! It would be _suuuuuuuper_ cool, don't you think?!" exclaimed Bokuto enthusiastically. "And it'll look especially a-w-e-s-o-m-e when I spike and my shoulders are moving and stuff! The people will be like wooah and my fans would-!"

  
"Totally," nodded Tanaka. He handed Bokuto a book with pre-made designs. "Actually, I have some concepts here. Look at some and give me sort of a heads-up on what you want, 'kay?"

  
"Mm-hmm!"

  
The good thing about Bokuto is that he had the goodness of a child. He was pure and happy and had the essence of a great person. Like children, he was an optimist, and with the right mechanisms, could easily be cheered up. While he hummed and poured over possible owl wing designs, Tanaka looked at Noya, crossing his arms expectantly.

  
"So?"

  
"So what?"

  
"You going to let me set you up and make you happy?"

  
They exchanged an intense looking challenge, until finally, Noya cracked and spoke.

  
" _Fine_ ," he sighed. "Fine! But only one, you get me? One! And I'll even let you set up my _Matcha!_ account. But if it ends disastrously, then you are never going to set me up with anybody ever again, you hear me, Ryuu?"

  
"I hear you. Let's make it a deal," grinned Tanaka back with a smile that was too smug to not be suspicious. 

 

* * *

 

"Tough day, Asahi?" said Futakuchi, raising an eyebrow. He offered him a sour gummy, which was rare, since he treasured them like they were his children.

  
The bun-haired barista shook his head at his offer and sighed, throwing himself onto one of the chairs. He was glad for this opportunity to rest.

  
Today had been absolutely disastrous. He was in the middle of creating his final term portfolio, which would be a major part of his grade. He'd stopped by his professor's office to make a check-up on his progress and make sure he was on the right track...but apparently, he wasn't.

  
His professor had taken one look at his art and had ripped it apart. Or at least, it was as if he had. He'd criticized and trashed his work metaphorically and verbally so badly, that he might as well have set it on fire and thrown it into a dump. Asahi had left the room clutching his portfolio, feeling humiliated, indignant, embarrassed and moody all at once.  
What was worse, he had slipped on a banana peel walking in the hallways two minutes after.

  
"N...Not exactly. I-I mean, it wasn't t-the best, but it wasn't t-the worse either. I-" He paused and just sighed, giving in. "Yeah, it was a tough day."

  
"Could tell," the usual cashier said casually. "What's on your mind?"

  
"Just university stuff."

  
"Ah, I get it. I have a lot of shit too," commented Futakuchi. He paused, then dropped a major bomb. "Hey, did you hear about Moniwa-san's leave?"

  
Asahi looked taken aback. He gave Futakuchi a surprised expression. "What?"

  
"Yeah. He's moving in with Kamasaki-san. Since their new apartment is going to be farther away from this establishment, Moniwa-san is transferring to another Starbucks," said Futakuchi. "Ah, Taketora is leaving too. Says he has some dream internship at some place that's going to take up his time and stuff."

  
Today definitely was a bad idea.

  
Asahi slumped moodily against one of the staff chairs. The shop was luckily experiencing a brief moment of peace, and he was able to digest this new information with relative calm. However, in the inside, he was undergoing a huge 'worry attack.'

  
"Who are the replacements?" he asked.

  
Futakuchi sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. Hope for the best...but expect the worst."

 

* * *

 

Nishinoya had gotten no warning.

  
Just two days after Bokuto's breakup (his owl wings tattoo was hella rad, though), he had been reading through an assignment from his Psych class before he had gotten a sudden phone call from Tanaka. Luckily, his roommate had been gone on a group study session, and Noya could pick it up with ease and without fear of disturbing anybody.

  
"Hey bro, what's up?" he asked casually.

  
_"He's 2 meters tall, four years our senior and works as a travel journalist, a redhead, a food lover, owns a Corgi-"_

  
"What...?"

  
_"-follows Paris Fashion Week like Tora goes after his yakisoba bread, is hot and single!"_ declared Tanaka gleefully via phone. _"You were declarated a 'Match in Heaven' by_ Matcha! _and you have a date with him in one hour in the Starbucks."_

  
"Oh, cool - wait, what?"

  
_"His name is Katsuo Kominori-"_

  
"No, wait! Yo, yo, yo, don't hang up, bro-!"

  
_"Haha, tell me how it goes, my broest of bros!"_

  
And he hung up.

  
Nishinoya sighed in frustration, wanting to throw his phone against the dorm wall in frustration. Instead, he gently put his phone next to him in bed, closed his Psych book and rubbed his temples. He couldn't afford to lose his cool, at least not now. A thousand worries entered his head and refused to go out: clothes, looks, worries, conversation topics, coffee orders, location, and much more.

  
He had a date.

  
After ten minutes of panicking, he had finally decided to get ready. Deciding on an [outfit](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/20/68/78/2068781b0a173aed9202af56351d8b6c.jpg) in the 'short' amount of half an hour, he finally got out of his university dorm to go to his date.

  
The walk to the quaint Starbucks establishment lasted less than five minutes, but Noya took the opportunity to admire the shop as he took a comfortable but noticeable seat in one of the corners. Much to his delight, this Starbucks was a little more bohemian than hipster and had a warm, welcoming atmosphere, littered by decorations and dim lighting that added appeal to the place. Overall, it was a great place for a first date.

  
However, it seemed to have no wi-fi available, which _wasn't_ great, because it forced Noya to spend the next hour playing Temple Run, while waiting for this supposed guy.

  
Noya felt the anger and most of all, embarrassment, pile up at him as the minutes ticked by and not one sign of his guy appeared. He could feel the pitying looks of the other people in the establishment, their curious glances and whispers, the slight annoyance and mumbling from some of the workers, all mixed with his own frustration and insecurity, swirling inside of him like a whirpool of negative emotions.

  
He had been ditched.

  
After forty five minutes of waiting, in which it was obvious nobody would be showing up, Noya got up, putting the phone in his pocket and giving a disappointed sigh. Oh well, there had gone Ryuu's efforts to match him up. At least, he'd have a reason to be let out of the magic of 'Matchmaker Tanaka' and his _Matcha!_ campaign.

  
Quietly, hiding his emotions in a neutral barrier, Noya headed towards the counter. One, because he wasn't rude enough to just take up the establishment's space for more than an hour without getting anything, and two, because he was emotionally drained and since he was here, he might as well get a cold, caffeine-infused treat. He deserved it.  
All that changed when he saw the barista.

  
The barista was properly the most good-looking man Noya had ever seen. He was tall, definitely leaning towards the better part of 180 cm. and had a good build, with wide, sturdy shoulders and a lean figure. Noya was also really sure there was a muscular set of abs hiding beneath that Starbucks uniform. In all, the barista radiated strength. Not like Noya's strength, his confidence and bold personality, but a sort of _dependability_ , a sense of security, like an anchor keeping a crazed ship stable during a storm. His long hair was styled in a neat bun, that somehow managed to look stylish and artsy, even though not a strand of his brown hair was out of place. His face was smooth, carved well like a scultpure, with short scruff on his chin (Noya _definitely wasn't_ thinking about how it would feel to touch it while kissing those soft lips not so far up - ) that made him look a little older than he probably was, although his features emanated a sort of refreshing youth.

  
The barista also had a pair of warm eyes that shone with a genuine tenderness that could give him heart attacks.

  
(And not to mention he got a brief glimpse of his ass, which was, even in the short 3 seconds of glory Noya had been able to see it, _very_ fine.)

  
In a weird way, he was glad his date hadn't come, because there was _no way_ he could have competed with him.

  
Nishinoya didn't know how long he had stood there, gaping at the barista like an idiot, eternally grateful that 1) no other workers he had seen before seemed to be around, 2) there was nobody else in line and 3) the barista didn't seem to be bothered by him.

  
In fact, it seemed as if the barista still hadn't seen him. Almost methodically, he got up from where he was sitting, trudged over and uttered smoothly words that Noya had heard thousands of times before:

  
"Welcome to Starbucks, may I take your order?"

  
" _Holy shit, it's you_!"

  
"...E-Excuse me?" the guy squeaked. His eyes had widened in shock.

  
Nishinoya gave a small humorous laugh, while the barista suddenly looked down and noticed him, his face mirroring the shock in his eyes, filled with strange wonder.

  
"Haha, sorry!" said Noya apologetically, still grinning, although there was a slight burning sensation in his stomach, a spreading of warmth that he'd never experienced before. "It's just a little joke I have on. Since I'm one of those people with the 'welcome to starbucks' soulmate lines, I just always say that when I'm in Starbucks. It's funny, even though I probably might never find the Starbucks barista of my heart."

  
As if to prove his point, he pulled the sleeve of his gray jacket to show the flesh of his flexed bicep, where in dark words, was written: **Welcome to Starbucks, may I take your order?**

  
"O-Oh, I-I see," said the barista, although he still looked bewildered.

  
"Sorry for that, again," said Noya, hoping to smoothly turn the conversation back to normality. Hopefully, he hadn't made anything too awkward. He handed over some money. "Um, could I please get a simple iced caffè americano?"

  
"Oh, um, sure!" said the barista, clicking the buttons in the register and returning him with his change. "In whose name?"

  
Noya raised his eyebrows coyly, smirking playfully. "Interesting that you asked, considering I'm your only client right now, but 'Noya' will do."

  
The barista nodded, quickly setting off to work, heading towards the espresso machines and fixing up his drink. As he stormed off, almost desperately, Noya got a glimpse of his cheeks, which, strange enough, were tinged bright red.

  
A few minutes later, he came back to the counter with his drink, looking much more relaxed. Noya gave him a nod, about to thank him before leaving, when the barista spoke.

  
"U-Um, I-I am sorry to ask! I-I don't want to be impertinent, but...I saw that you were here for some time and I was wondering what you were doing here?" he asked. Noya briefly winced, and he quickly entered another apologetic rampage. "I'm so sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I was too direct. I am so sorry-!"

  
Noya gave a little chuckle, waving him off, grabbing the coffee. Somehow, the barista's shyness was kind of cute? "It's okay. It was just um, awkward. My friend set me up on a date, because he claims I've been way too single. But well, it seems the guy didn't even bother to show up." He paused, giving a nervous laugh to hide his true devastation, scratching the back of his neck. "I hope I wasn't a bother or anything-"

  
"No!" the barista blurted.

  
Both of them suddenly paused, the barista's cheeks turning bright red again, and he continued, trying desperately to hide his blushing, which only resulted in more stuttering. "No, no, it's nothing b-bad, I-I swear! I-I mean, I was just saying, I...I just wanted to say that you weren't a bother at all." He gulped, clearing his throat. "W-What's more, I think he's a big idiot for not showing up to his date."

  
Nishinoya looked at him, feeling slightly touched, ignoring his increasing heartbeat. "...Oh, thanks."

  
"D-Do you want me to say anything?" the barista continued, more smoothly but no less awkwardly. "To the guy, I mean. If he comes later or something and asks for you-"  
"Hm? Oh, yeah! You can tell him to fuck himself and stick this up his ass!" exclaimed Noya, showing his middle finger. Then, he flashed the barista a sweet smile, one that he hoped the giant would understand was genuine. "We'll see each other again, Barista-san."

  
"I-I-!"

  
Nishinoya gave him a friendly wave, which the barista couldn't do anything else but return it with a small one of his own, and walked out of the Starbucks. He headed to his university dorm. He had wanted to go on a complete rant with Tanaka, but now, he realized that maybe...maybe _Matcha!_ did have its wonders, direct or indirect. Had his 'Match in Heaven' been a complete douche, causing the date to be a huge bust? Totally. But had it been worth it to meet the barista, despite all the feelings he'd had to go through? Absolutely.

  
No matter what, he couldn't take his mind out of that stunning man.

  
And if he had turned back just once before leaving, he might have seen the gorgeous barista thinking the same thing, looking at him with a shocked, dreamy expression, clutching his chest as if an arrow had struck him there.

 

* * *

  
" _I want details, man-_!"

  
"The asshole didn't show up."

  
As soon as he returned, opening the door to his university dorm, he was attacked by a wild Tanaka. His friend had been lounging in one of Noya's bean bags chairs, comfortably sprawled while playing some car game on his phone, before realizing his return and jumping almost three meters into the air. His face was bright and eager, truly curious to see how his friend's fortune had fared.

  
As soon as Noya spoke though, his excited face cracked into crestfallen features.

  
"Oh, _shit_. I am so sorry, Yuu," said Tanaka genuinely, walking towards him and putting a hand on his shoulder, his expression etched in honest guilt and concern. "Are you...okay?"

  
"It wasn't your fault, bro," said Noya softly. Putting his coffee in his desk, he then turned around and burst into a large grin. "It doesn't matter, because I am _sure_ I've found my soulmate!"

  
"FUCKING SERIOUSLY?!" exclaimed Tanaka enthusiastically, regaining his former vigor, looking so happy it might have as well been him the one who had found his soulmate.

  
"Fucking seriously! He was a _super hot barista_ in the Starbucks."

  
"Woo hoo!" whooped Tanaka, delighted. They celebrated briefly, wildly hollering, laughing and dancing in the tiny dorm room, before his friend continued. "I totally knew those three years of going to Starbucks every day would be worth it, as unsuccessful as they were. What's next then, my boy? How are you going to conquer this peasant somehow worthy of your incredible awesomeness-?"

  
"Don't think ahead, bro," laughed Noya, rolling his eyes. "I mean, I still don't know if he really is my soulmate. His reaction wasn't exactly expressive-"

  
"C'mon, bro! I know he's your soulmate. I feel your chemistry already, even though I just found out about it five minutes ago," joked Tanaka, wrapping him in a big hug. "Trust me, I'm the love guru! You might have never even met the guy if it weren't for me, who set you up there-"

  
"Fine, fine. You do get some credit. So what should I do, _oh kami-sama_?"

  
"You have to be bold! And direct," Tanaka advised him. "Get your purpose known. That is the swiftest and best way to get to his heart, figure out if you're soulmates, and conquer him."

  
"I think...you're right. I think I'll try something out in a few days again?"

  
" _Attaboy_! Go get 'im!"

 

* * *

 

A few days after Taketora's leave, his replacement was presented to them.

  
They'd thrown him a massive party to say goodbye to both him and Moniwa, the latter's departure Asahi knew Futakuchi would never admit but was greatly saddened by. After the festivities, the jolly celebrating and the goodbyes though, Asahi still could not quite believe that the two of them were gone. They created a hole in his job and during his shift, would often feel a sort of abysmal emptiness, a feeling he knew he, Futakuchi and Yaku all shared. Even though Taketora's replacement had already been found and they had many good candidates for Moniwa's place, it just wouldn't be the same without those two.

  
Truthfully, Asahi had grown more distracted as of late, often slipping into fantasies woven by his heart and mind of a certain man.

  
Asahi knew that admiring him was useless, as there was no way he would ever return the warm, budding feelings he felt. When the man, 'Noya' as he found out from his cup, had even told him his date hadn't even showed up, he'd almost fallen into a state of shock. Who in their sane mind wouldn't have wanted to go on a date with him? He was absolutely breathtaking and there was no doubt he was probably the most beautiful thing Asahi had ever laid his eyes on, even as an artist. There was no work of art he could use to compare Noya, no paints or colors or oils he could ever use to portray him and bring him alive on an easel, no words that could possibly describe him on paper.

  
Despite being several tens of centimeters shorter than him, Asahi saw unstoppable depth in Noya, a deep power, confidence and capability that should have been intimidating, but instead was somehow soothing. His face was lively and energetic, carved finely and beautifully, every detail taken into sublime consideration, from the curve of his nose to the grace of his smooth neck to his eyes. Brown and slanted, they might have seemed average to the common person, but proved to shine with sophisticated light, twinkling with humor, happiness, wisdom and strong values. His hair was endearingly messy, with a tiny tuft of dirty bleached blond hair Asahi wanted to touch and caress. Even as such a short person, Asahi would have been more than delighted to have someone like Noya behind his back.

  
(Not to mention the fit, muscular physique hidden under his clothes which Asahi was lewdly and shamefully thinking about, was both reassuring and made him sweat nervously.)

  
But most captivating of all was his smile. Asahi could have lit up dark holes with that smile, could have painted it in tens and tens of canvases but still not be satisfied with his portrayal of it, because they would never even reach the ankles of the real thing. Noya's smile was like a lighthouse on a stormy sea, a star-lit show in the middle of a dark night, a supernova in the middle of a bland universe. Unlike Asahi, who was as plain as a piece of straw, Noya walked in another world, was gold to Asahi's hay, was marble to his rock, was the Garden of Eden to his unwanted wild weeds. He had a smile that could change the mood in a room for the better, gave people hope and support, was full of mirth and easy cheer that Asahi loved.

  
Oh, what he would _do_ to make that smile his.

  
He was shaken back to reality by the feel of somebody next to him. Asahi noticed that Futakuchi was standing next to him, eyeing unimpressedly the person in front of them. The barista then turned around and looked at Taketora's replacement.

  
Their new co-worker was a male university student of medium build, good height (although he was still a solid two inches shorter than Asahi) and a pair of intensely ambitious brown eyes that intimidated the hell out of Asahi already. He also had a black bowl cut (which made Futakuchi snicker quietly beside him) and he carried with a type of easy confidence that Asahi had always strived to have. However, with the co-worker came a combination of a bold personality and a somehow...shy, gullible demeanor?

  
"M-MY NAME IS GOSHIKI TSUTOMU!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, giving a low 90 degree bow at all of them when Yaku asked him to introduce himself. "MY STAR SIGN IS LEO AND MY FAVORITE FOOD IS BOILED FLOUNDER! I AM MAJORING IN MANAGEMENT. PLEASE TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME!"

  
They looked at Goshiki silently.

  
Asahi felt as if his eardrums would burst, wincing internally at the decibels of Goshiki's voice. If the student ever decided to go for a career in music, then he wouldn't need any speakers or mic systems in his concerts, because his voice itself was loud enough to be heard clearly at a 50-mile radius.

  
Futakuchi snorted, whispering to Asahi. "He sounds like a middle schooler in the first day of school."

  
"Maybe he's just nervous?"

  
"I hope he isn't as nervous as whoever cut his hair to make it look like that."

  
Yaku seemed as impressed as Futakuchi. He wearily eyed the younger student, seeing his entire life pass through his eyes and knowing Goshiki would be the cause of many future gray hairs. However, after Goshiki had finally stood back up from his deep bow, Yaku gave the underclassman a small genuine smile, meaning to be welcoming.

  
"Welcome, Goshiki-kun," he said. "I'm Yaku. I'm the shift's manager and in charge of everyone here. Any big problems, report to me. Those two over there are your co-workers, although someone else will be joining us in a few days. That idiot with the bitchy face is Futakuchi and that friendly giant, cinnamon roll in disguise over there is Azumane, even though he'll prefer it if you call him Asahi."

  
"Wow, _thanks for the love_ , Yaku," snorted Futakuchi, crossing his arms.

  
Asahi, though, stayed quiet. He was grateful for Yaku making his introduction for him, as he was sure he would have probably messed it up, stuttered through it or made it awkward. Yaku knew he felt that way and had probably done it to help him, as much as he always tried to make Asahi more confident and comfortable under his own skin. Perhaps one of the first reasons Asahi had befriended Yaku almost immediately was his resemblance to his other friend, Suga, who owned a local flower shop. Although their personalities were clearly different, the same kind, understanding, welcoming and motherly nature they shared was a nice similarity for him.

  
"THANK YOU SO MUCH, YAKU-SENPAI! THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY! IT IS MY PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE! I WON'T DISAPPOINT ANYBODY!" exclaimed Goshiki again.

  
The three of them internally winced.

  
"Does...Does he not have an indoor voice?" whispered Asahi weakly.

  
"Let's hope this _isn't_ it, because if this is his indoor voice, I don't even want to hear his outdoor one," replied Futakuchi moodily under his breath, rubbing his ears.

  
"I am sure you'll make us all proud, but it's okay. You don't need to be so formal...or loud," said Yaku, still genuinely friendly, but sounding so tired already. "Come, Goshiki-kun. I'll show you around the place and teach you some stuff."

  
"Oh! Okay! Yes! Right away! Thank you! Please guide the way, Yaku-senpai!"

  
"I was already doing that, and - _oí, keep up_! Don't gawk at everything, Goshiki! Have you never seen a fucking spoon, or what? I am just here to give you the basics, not to serve as a tour guide or nanny."

  
"Oh! Ah! Ah! I am so sorry, Yaku-senpai! It will never happen again! I am sorry! So sorry! I was just admiring the impeccable state of the place and letting the deep feeling of honor of having this position sink into my-"

  
"That's _great_ , Goshiki-kun. Now let's get going, shall we?"

  
"Yes! Yes! Of course! Let's go! Yes!"

  
The two of them disappeared into the staff doors, Yaku mumbling clearly while Goshiki nodded enthusiastically, doing it so violently it was almost as if his head were to fall off at any moment. Taking this chance and with the shop relatively well-kept (the customers had been bewildered by Goshiki's eccentric introduction, but had soon returned to mind their own business), Asahi turned to Futakuchi.

  
"...Well, that was something."

  
"That's the understatement of the year," replied Futakuchi. "How am I going to get through this shift without an extra supply of gummies? I bet you in that five minutes, the brat is going to piss off Yaku with some height comment."

  
"That's quite possible."

  
"Man," sighed Futakuchi. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I might prefer dealing with Taketora and his whole personality package or Moniwa-san's constant nagging, chattering and clumsiness over having to deal with this guy's antics for who knows how long. I didn't know Taketora's replacement would be able to beat Taketora at having a higher volume."

  
"What about Moniwa-san's replacement?" whispered Asahi fearfully.

  
"Let's hope they aren't as energetic as Bowl Cut-kun," muttered Futakuchi moodily, shaking his head as he popped a gummy into his mouth. "Or someone _help us all_."

  
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud:

  
_"I'm going to fucking kick you!"_

  
"Ah," said Futakuchi wisely.

  
"Already? It hasn't been five minutes, even!" squeaked Asahi.

  
Goshiki popped out from inside the staff door, landing face-first on the ground and groaning. A very angry Yaku popped out, his leg outstretched from having kicked their new co-worker. Goshiki quickly got up, looking at Yaku in an apologetic expression.

  
"You already did!" he protested.

  
"Do you want me to do it again?!"

  
"No! I am so sorry! I am so sorry, Yaku-san! It wasn't my intention to mention the insecurity you have over your insignificantly small height-"

  
At the mention of small height, Asahi's mind suddenly went back to Noya, Noya with his blinding smile, the alluring eyes and hypnotizing strength he had in him despite his shorter stature. He was suddenly filled up with a newfound sensation, more emotion...

  
"Why _you little_ -!"

  
"Yaku."

  
All three of them turned to look at him. Asahi didn't even know why he had softly blurted Yaku's name out...but it probably had to do with Noya and all the light he gave him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, putting out a hand as if to make a peaceful truce, and got closer to their new co-worker, turning to him.

  
"Goshiki-kun?" said Asahi quietly.

  
"YES, SIR!"

  
Asahi winced at the volume. However, he mustered his courage and continued. "Listen to me closely, Goshiki-kun. Nod if you understand."

  
Goshiki nodded, suddenly quiet, eyes looking at him curiously.

  
"Listen, Goshiki-kun...don't ever mention Yaku's height. Just don't. Okay? It's just one of those things you don't mention for the common good of humanity. Anyways, Yaku doesn't mean any wrong. He's an incredible person, but with Taketora and Moniwa both gone, it's been hard on all of us. Yaku, in particular, has had to shoulder quite the burden and worked a lot."

  
"Yaku-senpai is so capable!"

  
"That's right, Goshiki-kun. But Yaku can't do everything himself, you see. We do what we can to help him out, but it's still not enough sometimes. That's where you come in." Goshiki nodded and Asahi continued. "Yaku wants to get through your tour as fast as possible so you can come and help us. We believe in you, Goshiki-kun."

  
"I-I don't think I understand, Azumane-senpai..."

  
"What I mean is that you need to work hard, Goshiki-kun, all right? Listen to Yaku, do what he says and try to help out as much as you can, because you're really important. And you can start out by taking out the trash we have back there and cleaning some of the dishes. After you do that, Yaku will be very grateful to you and will begin to teach you the art of being a barista, so you can contribute even more to us. Is it understood?"

  
_"Yes, Azumane-senpai!"_

  
"Goshiki-kun, you understand this is a big responsibility, right?"

  
Goshiki nodded vigorously, so much that Asahi almost feared his neck would crack and his head would roll on the floor. _"Yes! Thank you for believing in me, Azumane-senpai!"_

  
Asahi blushed, laughing nervously. "Haha, Asahi-san is fine-"

  
Without even waiting for him to finish, Goshiki burst back into the staff room, heading to take out the trash and wash the dishes. Yaku and Futakuchi looked at the door in shock, before looking back at Asahi with complete and utter disbelief.

  
"Asahi...when did you turn into a god?" whispered Yaku in awe.

  
"I-I didn't do much, I-I don't know what possessed me. He just seemed someone who would like responsibility, kind of?" Asahi said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

  
"Nonsense. That was amazing, Asahi!" exclaimed Yaku. "Bless you. Seriously. Asahi, you are like a lifesaver."

  
Futakuchi whistled appreciatively. "Yeah, they can call you the 'Goshiki Whisperer'. That'd be cool, don't ya think? Then you'd get your own TV show."

  
"It was nothing, really-"

  
"I'm going to take a look at him, make sure he's okay," said Yaku. "Futakuchi, come with me? I wanted to look through some of next week's pastry options."

  
"Aye, aye, will do," nodded Futakuchi, popping another gummy into his mouth before following the manager back into the staff doors.

  
Leaving Asahi alone.

  
The barista sighed, sitting in one of the chairs for the staff. Right now, he revelled in the quiet atmosphere of the shop. He could hear the gentle chattering of the patrons, the hearty smell of coffee around him and the general tranquility that came with getting a well-deserved rest. Earlier in his shift, a massive horde of people had lined up, and as they were understaffed, Asahi had needed to take turns between being cashier and barista, which had proven to be physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting.

  
Asahi looked down at the floor of the coffee shop, slipping into another of his daydreams. He pictured Noya again, with that endearing tuft of blond hair in his messy raven-colored head, the loyalty in his eyes, the brightness in his smile -

  
Only to be interrupted by a little, sharp cough.

  
Immediately, Asahi looked up from where he was sitting. It was true that he felt a tiny hint of annoyance for having his thoughts interrupted, but his job was currently his priority.

  
Although, it didn't seem to matter much, hecause his eyes met the actual object of his thoughts.

  
"Hey there," Noya grinned.

  
Asahi nearly fell backwards on his chair, so flustered and surprised by the sudden appearance of his newly-discovered muse, still wielding the killer smile that made Asahi skip a beat. However, after a very embarrassing flail of his arms, he was able to regain stability and quickly shot up, standing up behind the cashier with wide eyes and a little awkwardness in his limbs.

  
"Oh. H-Hi!" he half-squeaked, half-exclaimed, wanting to bury his head in his hands in embarrassment. "I-It's you a-again!"

  
"It _is_ me, 'again'. You aren't happy to see me?" teased Noya, although Asahi's mind still could not completely process everything.

  
"W-Wha-? No! No, of course not!" he blurted, feeling more embarrassed by the second. "All clients are valuable to the establishment, after all."

  
He inwardly slapped himself. _Very smooth, Asahi! Totally what you wanted to say!_

  
Asahi didn't know if he was imagining it, but Noya deflated a little bit after hearing the last statement. Nevertheless, he kept his composure, looking up at him with his usual grin.

  
"I see. Well, aren't you going to ask this special client what he wants?"

  
"O-Oh! Yeah, sorry. Welcome, what would you like to order?"

  
"Hmm, can you give me a venti java chip frap with extra whipped cream?"

  
"S-Sure! Anything else?" he asked politely, trying to suppress his blatantly obvious feelings and not blurt out something embarrassing again. As he wrote down the order and punched the appropriate numbers in the cashier, he also took a swig of water from his bottle to quench the dry sensation in his throat after hours of talking in his shift.

  
The customer frowned, rubbing his chin for a few seconds before having a little 'a-ha!' moment (which Asahi was really cute - wait, what?) and then looking at him straight in the eye with a determined expression, although his cheeks were tinted with a light rouge.

  
"Yeah, um, maybe...some of your tight ass?"

  
Asahi spat water all over the customer.


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [sent at 4:11 P.M.] ohhh 
> 
> [sent at 4:11 P.M.] does this have to do with hot and tiny you were gushing about the other day??? ;) ;) 
> 
> [sent at 4:11 P.M.] suga!!
> 
> [sent at 4:12 P.M.] sends pics pls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, it's me. i was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet...

" _I am so sorry_!" exclaimed Asahi for the 367th time.

Asahi had been a bundle of nerves after the incident, reducing to a blubbering mess of apologies and panic after he had completely soaked Noya.

Noya only laughed, waving a friendly arm in front of Asahi. "Haha, it's no big deal, Asahi. If anybody, it should be me the one who apologizes. I was a little...too...um, _direct_."

That was an understatement.

Asahi had simply stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. His mind was like a broken record, repeating over and over again what Noya had told him. He tried to analyze it, to be 'straightforward', but of course, his mind just had to revert to its usual panic, overthinking mood. It was as if his brain were a one-switch being, stuck between two constant states: intense worrying, or minor worrying.

 _What did he mean when he said he wanted some of m-my tight ass?_ he mused in his head, his thoughts spiralling quickly. _Does he...think I'm good-looking?_ Am I _good-looking? Maybe he thinks I'm rugged; that's what everyone says about me, especially with my stubble. Or maybe he thinks I'm creepy? Noo! What if he's just like that girl from the subway who ran away screaming when she saw me because she thought I was a gang member, but just much nicer and polite? Does he just want me from my body? Is that it? Is he looking for a friend with benefits? Or does he want a relationship? Does he want me asking him out? Is he even looking for anything? And what did he mean by 'tight ass'...? Is a tight ass even a good thing? Is a tight ass a small ass, because I don't think my ass is small. What if he thinks it's plump but he's trying to be nice? Wait, is it nice to even stare at someone's ass? Even if it's done appreciatively. Has society begun criticizing people on the size of their-?_

"-Hey, sorry, do you by chance have a shirt you could lend me?" asked Nishinoya, suddenly interrupting his thoughts. He grinned sheepishly, and soaked wet, he looked so disturbingly adorable, Asahi's heart was ready to pop out any second.

"Uh..." Asahi's mind went blank.

"I have a spare one that should fit you," said a very done-sounding voice behind Asahi. "Sorry for the inconvenience. And Asahi, _we are having some words right now_ -"

"I-It's fine!" Nishinoya laughed kindly, turning to face Asahi's manager. He leaned in to read the label near his chest and continued. "...Yaku-san, right? Asahi's already apologized like, for ten thousand years. It's fine. And it wasn't intentional or anything."

"Y-Yeah," spluttered Asahi, his mind finally deciding to let him react.

Yaku narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Huh."

"It's the truth," continued Noya. "I-I'll just get my coffee, maybe the change of clothes, and I'll be on my way. It's really my bad, anyways, I-"

"The coffee is free of charge. Consider it as an apology," Yaku told him. He turned to see Asahi, and sighed. "And let's not have this happen again, all right, Asahi? You're the only other sane person in this shift, and I don't need another Goshiki incident." He threw him some keys, which Asahi fumbled with, but still caught properly. "There. Take them to the staff room and open my locker. You should find some spare shirts."

"W-Will do!"

"Thanks," Nishinoya said. "I promise I'll give it back! The name's Nishinoya Yuu, by the way."

 _Yuu_ , thought Asahi breathlessly, thinking that maybe something truly good had come from this horrifyingly embarrassing incident. Even Yaku cracked a small smile at Nishinoya's sheer friendliness.

"Yaku Morisuke," he replied. "Well then, Asahi? Are you hoping to kill this guy from pneumonia? I'm taking over the cashier while you're gone. Don't let him wait any longer."

"Y-Yes, sorry!" Asahi muttered awkwardly. Really, what was life? He turned to look at Noya. "C-C'mon, you can follow me-"

"Lead the way, big guy!"

Nishinoya followed Asahi as they quietly made their way into the staffroom, lined with lockers and a general lopsided mess of things. He ran through situations in his room, buying himself more time to think of something to say as he headed over to Yaku's locker and opened it, revealing an organized collection of things, including three spare shirts.

"I think the green one should fit me well," Nishinoya hummed observatively, standing on his tip-toes to get a better view.

"I-A-Ah, sure!" Asahi said, grabbed the shirt and tossed it to him.

In turn, Nishinoya caught in nimbly, shot him a charming smile (Asahi was ready to die at this point), and then proceeded to take off his shirt in the process (Asahi was ready to be reincarnated at this point, forget dying).

Asahi, turning bright red, immediately turned around, pretending to not have watched Nishinoya's body appreciatively. Despite his short height, Noya was exceptionally-built - from the toned plains of his stomach, to the lines of his six-pack, the sharp collarbones, god-like hips to basically everything. He quickly grabbed his phone, pretending to be doing something productive and not lewd, and sent a text.

 

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** suga i need help

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** what happened?? :O

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** i messed up

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** big time

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** ohhh

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** does this have to do with hot and tiny you were gushing about the other day??? ;) ;)

 **[sent at 4:11 P.M.]** suga!!

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** sends pics pls

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** no suga why

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** pls

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** plssss

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** nooo

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** plsssssss or no help or heavenly suga advice

 **[sent at 4:12 P.M.]** you truly are evil

 

Asahi felt like a total creep. While Nishinoya's muscular back faced him, he awkwardly took a quick picture without flash. He made sure it was a little blurry though, so that he didn't feel completely bad about taking those pictures. He felt indecent, sending the picture to Suga, but he knew his friend would never do anything bad.

His response, after all, showed that.

 

 **[sent at 4:17 P.M.]** oooh damn asahi ;)

 **[sent at 4:17 P.M.]** suga! NOT. helping. me!

 **[sent at 4:17 P.M.]** sorry why did i even bother

 **[sent at 4:18 P.M.]** what i smy life

 **[sent at 4:18 P.M.]** go go my son!! conquer the man of your dreams ;)!! <3

 

"All done!" exclaimed Nishinoya suddenly. "Who're you texting? Your, um, friend?"

"O-Oh, y-yeah. I forgot something in his place when we were studying, so I'm going to drop by and get it later," Asahi lied, uncharacteristically smooth.

Nishinoya deflated a little, although his face remained in its usual cheerful expression. "Oh, cool! Well, uh, I'll just go my coffee and -"

"I am honestly so, so sorry," blurted Asahi apologetically. He wanted to bury his head in his hands. "I-I didn't mean to, really, it was just a reaction, and I was just surprised and - "

"I'm sure you didn't, Asahi," smiled Noya. "It's okay, dude, chill. Accidents happen. If anything, I should be apologizing. I kind of caused it, and besides, I'm getting coffee for it. So, consider it all good and done?"

"Okay," he mumbled.

"I'll see you again then, _Asahi_?" grinned Noya, his name sounding so delightful on his lips.

The barista gaped at him. "A-After w-what happened, y-you would s-s-still-?"

"Duh, I'm not just going to cut off my lifesource because of a teeny accident, dummy!" joked Nishinoya, punching him jokingly in the bicep. It still kind of ached though. Noya's punch was a little too strong that the average person's. "Why would you think that?"

"I thought you would, kind of hate me, maybe?"

"What? My friend, you _wound_ me!" exclaimed Nishinoya, fake-hurt, slapping his hand against his own chest. "You think I'm as temperamental of a friend as to hate you for something so petty? Wow, dude."

"I-I'm sorry-!"

"Stop apologizing, man! Nothing to apologize for," said Nishinoya. "So, I'll be seeing you?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Good! That's great. Then, see you later, alligator."

Asahi was about to open his mouth, say something before that wonderful human being walked out of that staffroom, before Noya did so first, turning around armed with a wink and a coy smirk.

"Oh, by the way, I wasn't lying about the tight ass."

 

* * *

 

"I really messed up!" moaned Noya pitifully, burying his head in his hands. "I knew you told me to go bold, but I totally went over the top, bro! Gosh, so embarrassing. The poor guy turned bright red! And he was so flustered he _spat water all over me_ , to boot!"

"It's not your fault, bro," said Tanaka consolingly.

Nishinoya shot him an accusing look. "Uh huh. You are right. You know, this is all _your_ fault."

"Wha - ? _How is this my fault_?!"

"I told you my dating life was over before it even started," said Nishinoya, standing up. He paced across the nice tiled floor of Tanaka's tattoo parlor. "But no, bro. You just had to put me up in that blind date, and then the asshole didn't even show up. And of course I would feel down, so I would go to the coffee shop and just see that gorgeous bearded god and - "

"Noya, bro - "

"And you know what? He was _texting_ his friend! He didn't even pay attention to me! Not one peek! While I was changing out of my soaked shirt, he was - wait, I don't even know if he likes men! If he likes me! Gosh, I'm a mess," Nishinoya groaned again.

Almost in cue, the bells of the door rung and a familiar face entered once more.

The shy petite blonde girl who had been a client and gotten a massive phoenix tattoo across her back the other day had returned, standing hesitantly at the door of the parlor, her brown eyes looking down at the floor nervously. As bisexual as he was, she wasn't his type, but Noya thought she was undeniably cute. Her golden hair fell in a fashionable, innocent side ponytail, with colorful star hairclips on her left side. She wore a simple white crop top, a pink skirt and nice sandals. Everything radiated _cute_ from her.

"Oh, hey! It's you, phoenix-girl?" grinned Tanaka. "Back for another one?"

She looked up and quickly shook her head. "I-I...No, I-I am sorry, but while you were doing my tattoo, I overheard you the other day talking to somebody - "

"My friend Bo? Baby owl in an adult male form? I'm listenin'."

" - Uh, I think so! Anyways, I am super sorry, but I heard you needed staff."

"Don't be sorry! I actually _do_ need staff," hummed Tanaka. "I just need a designer though, who could do something about advertising. I'm pretty media-savvy, but I am not an actual expert, so I thought it would be good to have them around. Plus, they could help me out with the cashier when they're not designing."

"Yes! I-I know this sounds b-bold, but I was wondering if I could be considered for the position?"

"You?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. She handed over a folder with some papers, most likely her resumé. "I actually double-majored in Fine Arts and Computer Design. I have some of my art too, in case you want to see it, so in addition to doing all that, I could help with some tattoo work, if given the training."

"Hm, your credentials are pretty good ... Yachi-san, is it? And - _holy shit_ ," Tanaka suddenly paused in reading and looked up in awe. "Whoa, you drew these?"

"They're _insanely good_ ," Nishinoya commened appreciatively, whistling as he took a peak in. The color scheme was absolutely wonderful, the shading was perfectly done, and the sheer emotion captured by the abstract and realistic drawings of hers were breathtaking.

"...M-My ex said they were only okay," whispered Yachi shyly, cheeks blushing.

"Well, fuck them!" Tanaka said, shaking his head vigorously. "Yachi-san, do you understand how insanely good you are? You shouldn't be applying for some job in a minor tattoo parlor, you should be aiming big! I simply can't accept you."

"I actually do design work," Yachi confessed. "But I may have been pretty sad after my breakup, so I kind of quit my company without meaning to. And I'm feeling pretty uninspired, so I didn't want to return to that right away."

"So you decided to try out a new form?"

"Mm hmm!" Yachi exclaimed. "A-And you seem really nice, so..."

"I _am_ nice," said Tanaka smugly, flashing his friend a triumphant look. Nishinoya rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "But I am being honest, Yachi-san. I simply can't hire you for the post. The salary I have for the job isn't fair for someone with your degree of talent and work - "

"N-No, it's okay!" she insisted. "I-I would be really honored to work here. I genuinely am interested. I would be looking for other jobs too, but I want to get back on my feet. And even when back on track, I would stay loyal to the tattoo parlor shop."

There was a silence. Tanaka was flipping through Yachi's documents, looking through them with a serious expression. Yachi looked at him hopefully, eyes glittery and two arms behind her back, playing with her hands nervously. She leaned back and forth unknowingly in the balls of her feet, something that was most likely another nervous habit. Nishinoya, still sat on one of the chairs, looked on the scene curiously. His friend wasn't usually this serious-looking, nor this unreadable. Suddenly, cutting through his thoughts, came his friend's voice.

"I will be reviewing your documents more in depth and set a date for a more formal negotiation, to settle times and payment, but you, Yachi ... ?"

"Hitoka!" she squeaked. "Yachi Hitoka."

"...Yachi Hitoka-san, can start tomorrow!"

Tanaka cracked out of his solemn expression with a blinding grin, and after she actually processed the information, squeaked in surprise, taking a few steps back. She walked clumsily, giddily, and unable to hold back, she gave a smile as well. Her eyes were full-on shining now, when before they were simply a little glittery with hope.

"R...Really?!"

"Woo hoo!" Nishinoya exclaimed, grinning as well. For a while, his worries with the ultra-hot barista faded, and he jumped out of his seat in excitement for Ryuu and this well-deserved opportunity for his friend's new employee. "We ought to celebrate!"

Yachi shyly gave her thanks, bowing repeatedly even when they'd insisted there was no need. As Nishinoya called over Bokuto for an impromptu celebration ("Barbecue? Heck _yeah_ , I'll come! Be there in three minutes, tops, tops! Don't you guys dare begin without me!"), Tanaka and Yachi went into a pleasant, low chatter. As Nishinoya walked to join them and inform them of Bokuto's presence, he listened to the conversation.

"...My ex-girlfriend was - well, I thought she was the one," Yachi was admitting sadly, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "I really loved her, and gave her what I could, but she didn't love me back. And even if she didn't reciprocrate, she didn't think what I gave to her was enough. The big fight of our breakup, actually, involved her saying that I'd get fired from the company because I was ... um, she said many things, but er, to summarize, she said I was too weak-willed and incapable."

"That's horrible," frowned Tanaka. "No offense, but you are way better off without her. That is abusive treatment."

"It probably wasn't meant to be," Nishinoya advised, supporting Tanaka. "Your soulmate would have appreciated you better instead of insulting you."

"And she must have been dead dumb too," said Tanaka, with a glint of kindness in his eyes. "Because I think you're _one hell of a badass_!"

 

* * *

  
Today was yet another of those days in which Asahi regretted his life decisions and his change in shift. _Again_.

A few days ago, after they had received information from Yaku-san that their higher-ups had already chosen a new candidate for the remaining job spot, they'd thrown the farewell party for Moniwa-san. It had involved many festivities, a lively meal, and a gift exchange ceremony that had been quite emotional. Even Futakuchi, who insisted he'd gone through the event with a 'dry eye', had appeared to be a little sentimental, secretly wiping a few stray tears and smiling when Moniwa-san had opened his gift excitedly; it was a personalized planner, and in his happiness, Moniwa-san had hugged Futakuchi. The latter had grumbled moodily about how Moniwa-san would kill him with his grip, but everyone knew that deep inside he had appreciated it.

But now...came Moniwa-san's replacement.

Asahi wished he had gone to their local shrine more to pray.

Koganegawa was loud, excitable, and a _literal giant_ , which only added to Yaku's general annoyance towards the new recruit. He was friendly and nice, giving Asahi a generally positive image of him, but his curiosity had caused for him to head straight into the kitchen and tamper with all of the tools, something which had irritated Yaku. He was also around six or seven centimeters taller than Asahi himself, but had the spirit and obliviousness of a child.

That was something that had not helped him when first meeting up with their manager.

("Oh wow, hi, little boy! I'm looking for one Yaku Morisuke, do you know him? Is he your dad, maybe? Are you lost? Because I - AHHHH!")

Another thing was that he just _had_ to clash with Goshiki like water and oil.

Yaku, after handing Koganegawa his 'respect your elders' medicine, had been giving him the usual introductory words, including instructions and general rules. Koganegawa had been listening intently, even taking notes on a pad as Yaku spoke, showing his diligence (Asahi hoped he was writting down the right stuff, though). However, from a distance, Goshiki had been squinting suspiciously at the new recruit, glaring viciously as he'd wiped the spotless counter with even more vigor than before. A dark force radiated from him.

"He's sending him death vibes," Futakuchi guessed, chewing on some gummy bears. Ever since Goshiki had joined, the amount of them he ate had doubled...and might triple, after Koganegawa's presence became more permanent.

"He's probably just competitive," supplied Asahi back kindly. Goshiki-kun probably wasn't somebody to hate people randomly, but as a fellow new, and relatively young recruit, he might have seen Koganegawa as some sort of competitor.

Soon though, as Yaku had given him the usual first round of introductions, Koganegawa had gotten in Goshiki's bad side. Asahi knew that this year of work would never be the same.

"Whoa, man! What's up with that hair cut?" he'd grinned as Yaku had introduced Goshiki to him, not knowing what he was getting into.

That comment had been funny, Asahi supposed, considering Koganegawa's hair was pretty 'unique' too. Futakuchi next to him had snorted humorlessly. Koganegawa was tall, but had sharp eyes and small pupils, along with dark-colored eyebrows. He'd dyed the rest of his hair blonde, except for the middle, which was a little fringe styled up.

"Excuse me?" Goshiki had snapped back, throwing the rag he'd been using to clean the counter down angrily. "My hair is perfectly acceptable! It promotes order, stability, and power! What about yours? More like, _90s cartoon disaster_!"

Koganegawa took a step back and raised his eyebrows. "Whoa, chill your beans, dude! I'm just saying the truth! No need to crucify me! Besides, I'm new; I just came here, so cut me some slack, will ya?"

"I don't care. I came recently too! And I've been more use to the franchise," retorted Goshiki sharply.

"Dude, this is literally my first day," Koganegawa said. "You've been here probably at least a week more than I have. By the time I've stayed here that long, I would have probably have been twice as useful than you."

"Is - Is that a _challenge_?"

"You bet it is, buddy!" Koganegawa said half-jokingly, half-earnestly. He was not aware of the full hardcore degree Goshiki had talked about when he referred to a challenge. "I'll be the best worker there's been here."

And that had started two weeks of complete chaos.

(Also, in a particular Broom War, where the two had competed to see who could sweep the floor better, they had accidentally kidnapped a child, set Futakuchi's hair on fire, and turned the staff bathroom into the Pacific Ocean.)

" _I hate his guts_!" Goshiki had complained one day, whining to Asahi and Futakuchi as he re-cleaned the counter for what seemed to be the twentieth time while Koganegawa was out buying more napkins. It seemed Goshiki did stress cleaning. "Why was he even hired in the first place? He's such a pain - in - the - ass!"

"Like you?" muttered Futakuchi under his breath.

(He probably had it the worst - after all, Yaku, just as he'd made Asahi in charge of helping out Goshiki with his transition, had made Futakuchi in charge of Koganegawa's. And the employee was _not_ loving it.)

Asahi gave Goshiki a nervous laugh. "He isn't so bad once you get to know him, Goshiki-kun. Maybe you should give him a chance - "

"As if!" huffed Goshiki, shaking his head proudly. "I-I tried, Asahi-san, but I simply cannot bear it. Now, I must protect my honor! Once, I may have tried to befriend that - that fiend, but now he can be nothing but my enemy! I must defeat him in everything, and prove myself to be of ace-worthy material!"

"When your job turns into an Edo period soap opera..." muttered Futakuchi moodily, sneaking out some gummy bears from his pocket.

 

* * *

  
"...And I also made an Instagram, so you can share any cool tattoos or designs online. There's a large artistic community, so if the account gets enough followers, it can get a lot of people's attention," Yachi was explaining to a highly-interested Tanaka.

"Woah, Hitoka-chan! You're real smart," the tattoo artist said.

Nishinoya rolled his eyes, popping a grape into his mouth. He was going a little more healthy now, as he could no longer hook himself on coffee. He was still too embarrassed to face Asahi again. His face heated up just when he remembered what had happened. "Ryuu, that's what I've been telling you for the last, what, three years?"

"But you didn't explain it as well as Hitoka-chan here!" Tanaka retorted.

Nishinoya rolled his eyes once more, while Yachi blushed and continued guiding Tanaka through the whole process. She truly was a great addition and not only brightened the shop with her enthusiasm, but was a great help online. She was building a creative, colorful page for the tattoo parlor and also made several social media pages to globalize them. She truly was talented with designing the whole thing. Yachi, although modest about it, had become a natural in just a few days, making her way into their lives with comfort and ease, and even socializing with some of the regular customers.

Suddenly, the front door bell rang and someone came in, the rustle of bags behind them.

"Mornin' everyone! I brought some - _oh my gosh_."

Standing there was their friend Taketora. Nishinoya watched him stand there, completely frozen, watching Tanaka and Yachi. He had been working part-time at a coffee shop (wait...didn't he work in the same one as Asahi?!) recently, but later, had had to resign after being accepted by his dream internship, a new up and coming engineering startup that was a valuable opportunity for Taketora's career. Tanaka and Nishinoya had been ultra proud.

Eventually, the bags of food that Taketora had brought dropped, as he looked at them with disbelief.

"...Y-You have a _f-female_ employee! A _cute female_ employee!" he exclaimed, gushing. He looked completely incredulous, as if he had been stabbed through the heart surprisedly. He clutched his chest in pure shock.

For years now, despite his great personality, Taketora had been unable to find a girlfriend. Even in the subways, little girls and their mothers inched away from him in fear, mistaking him for a yakuza member, or worse. Despite being an actual sweet, blubbering mess while flirting, girls simply hadn't gotten to see his true core. On the other hand, Tanaka had been blessed with several beautiful female friends. In fact, Taketora had even called the street where the tattoo parlor was as "Miracle Street", because of the presence of a certain quiet beauty in the flower shop next door.

And now, this.

"This, Tora, is the Power of the East!" grinned Tanaka triumphantly, pointing a smug thumb to himself. He then stood up and pat Yachi on the shoulder affectionately. The young blonde girl only blinked in confusion, feeling a little shy with Taketora's gaze still on her.

" _So...bright..._!"

 

* * *

  
Asahi leaned against the counter, his mind going back to the memory of that vibrant smile of Noya's. Even with Goshiki's shenanigans, Futakuchi and Koganegawa's quarrels and Yaku's rising stress levels, thinking of Noya was somewhat able to soothe him and make him relax in the workplace.

His thoughts, however, when the doors of the shop were opened and Asahi's heart stopped beating in fear.

Standing in front of the door was a tall man. And when he said tall, the barista meant tall. Probably the tallest man he'd ever seen. Not like Asahi wasn't tall in his own right. Yeah, as a Japanese man leaning in the better half of 180 cm., he considered to be at a quite good height.

But this man was at least _eight centimeters taller_ than him, massive in size, with all long limbs and a slender, muscular body. He was probably even taller than Koganegawa, who was the human definition of giant.

He was undeniably good-looking (although also _definitely_ not Asahi's type...well, he'd found his type already anyways, right?), with a handsome face and well-carved features, complemented well by his dark turtleneck, black pants, loafers and a pair of diamond studs. He was most likely a foreigner though, judging by his silvery hair and his most stunning features of all: his eyes. A bright blue hue, they were bright and cheery, but hid a scathing darkness that Asahi was afraid to discover. While they were innocent-looking and happy, Asahi feared the true character of those orbs and their ability to cut through any kind of barrier, physical or mental.  
What was worse was that he was surrounded by two equally terrifying men, tall, buff, with matching buzzcuts, tattooed body parts, and steely eyes that glared at whoever dared even take a sneak in their diretions.

Yakuza.

Asahi stood frozen as the man and his bodyguards approached him. Mothers looked in almost equal fright, trying to dissimulate, but quietly pulling their children closer towards them. Teenagers looked on with cautious curiosity at the scene, pausing in their conversations when the man passed by.

Why was Asahi left alone during such situations?

"Hi!" said the silver-haired man. "I am here for some coffee."

Asahi gulped, sweat running down the side of his head. "Um...okay. What would you like?"

"Uh, well, I usually have my coffee imported and brewed personally, so I don't frequent coffee shops a lot. Do you have any recommendations..." the man leaned forward, reading his newly-placed shirt tag, "... _Asahi_ -san?"

Asahi gulped inwardly. _He knows my name. Oh no. If I mess up here with his order, he can track me, burn my house and send hitmen to kill me painfully._

"Er, well, we have many drinks and coffees," he said. "However, there are various types of drinks we can serve you, so it depends on your preferences in temperature, ingredients, flavor, combinations and more."

"Is there a popular coffee?" asled the man, squinting as he read the menu above Asahi.

"Oh. Yes. Our frappucinos are very well-liked."

"Okay, then! I'll have one of those, then. Can it be...peppermint chocolate chip-flavored, grande-sized?"

"All right," said Asahi nervously, slowly pressing the buttons in the cashier. "Would you like to have whipped cream?"

"I can have _whipped cream_?!" exclaimed the man enthusiastically, a grin spreading from ear to ear. It was suddenly becoming hard to be scared of this obviously menacing figure. He was like a child arriving at Disneyland.

"...Yes," said Asahi. "I-I will assume that you will want it?"

"Of course!" exclaimed the man.

"By whose name?"

One of the man next to the silvery-haired man came and stepped forward, about to say something, when the man in question only put out a hand, stopping him. He gave a silent message with his gaze and then turned around, smiling at Asahi innocently.

"Haiba Lev," the man said. Then, he started to clap excitedly, as Asahi showed him his name in his cup. "Do you know the spelling? How - Oh, that's good! It's the first time somebody has written my name right! Amazing!"

Asahi gave them their change, and quickly (thankfully) excused himself to go work on the order. Meanwhile, as they waited, Lev settled in comfortable chatter with the two men he was with, probably his bodyguards. The conversation, from the small hushed fragments Asahi could understand, either consisted of enthusiastic chirping from Lev, or humorous rants from the bodyguards about how Lev was practically begging to be killed and purposely making their jobs more difficult.

Asahi eventually finished the drink and then went to the counter to hand them to the drink. Making sure he didn't make any contact, so they wouldn't think he was trying to kill Lev or anything, he slid over the cup. Before the man in question could taste his drink, however, one of his bodyguards took it and gave it a great sip. Then, after a few seconds, he put it down, pushing it towards Lev once more.

"It's safe," the bodyguard told him.

 _Why wouldn't it be safe?_ grimaced Asahi internally.

 _You know why, you've watched plenty of movies before,_ the other Asahi replies.

"Okay!" Lev cheered. Then, he took a sip and then turned to glare at the bodyguard. "Hey, but you didn't have to drink so much of it! I really, really like this!"

The man grinned. "What can I say? It was good."

Lev scowled.

Suddenly, the staff door opened and out came Yaku, who had been dealing with the delivery of some new machinery to replace some old equipment that they had. He had been supervising the whole process and so it seemed everything had finished. He also looked quite tired, but that may have partly been because of two particular new recruits.

"Asahi, what's with all this racket? I could hear you from the back," he asked, yawning.

"Oh, Yaku-san! I-I am sorry, I hope I didn't bother you. I was just serving a customer," Asahi said. He decided not to point, in fear that may have been taken as a sign of war or certain death or something on those lines.

Yaku, however, was not one bit intimidated by Lev, or by the two bodyguards flanking him, and only continued to glare at him. Until suddenly, the silence was broken by Lev, who broke into an amazed, but curious look. Asahi internally braced himself for his next words:

"Wow...you're so tiny!" Lev exclaimed, almost in awe.

A vein popped in Yaku's forehead. Asahi swallowed. His manager grit his teeth, and if it was possible, his glare intensified. Even with more than 20 centimeters worth of height difference, he looked like a formidable opponent.

" _You want to go_?!" he snapped irritably.

The two guards next to Lev suddenly fell into a silence, instead of surging forward to defend their...master (Asahi had no idea), while the silver-haired yakuza stopped talking, almost dropping his drink as his eyes widened in excitement, face brightening like the sun. He gave his drink to a bodyguard and then walked forward to suddenly grab Yaku's hands in his, eyes giddy with affection.

" _I've found you_! Finally!" Lev gushed.

"Um, what the hell?" Yaku exclaimed confusedly, then angrily, as he tore himself away from Lev's hands. "Don't touch me! What's your problem?"

The yakuza frowned. "B-But you are my soulmate!"

Yaku gave an unwilling sigh. "Yes, 'Wow...you're so tiny' may be my soulmate line, but you are just mistaken. I've met at least thirty other guys who have said that to me in our first meeting, claiming we were meant to be, and none were my soulmates. You're probably just another one of them - "

"No, no! You _are_ my soulmate!" insisted Lev enthusiastically, fueled by Yaku's 'affirmation'. He pulled the fabric of his turtleneck and showed his left bicep, where Asahi could recognize the words Yaku had spoken in Yaku's very own fast, efficient handwriting, a little squiggly and rushed, but neat at the edges, making it also easy to understand:

**You want to go?!**

Lev suddenly seemed to process his newly-received information and begin shaking the bodyguard to his left, too excited to contain himself, and not caring about the stares he was getting from the other people. "I told you guys today was definitely a day for coffee! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!"

"Neither can I," commented the bodyguard being shaken dryly.

Lev let him go and suddenly exclaimed dramatically, "I am in love! I've found my soulmate!"

The two bodyguards exchanged looks of exasperation.

"Kyōdai, are you _sure_?" one of them asked. "Because that is what you said in Sapporo, and..."

"Yes, yes, I am sure! We are like two pieces of a matching puzzle!" Lev turned and looked at Yaku. "You are definitely my other half! I feel it in my heart! In my soul! In the depths of my spirit! Don't you?!"

"I honestly don't know what to feel," said Yaku, suddenly looking very tired.

"Kyōdai," one of them whispered, looking completely done, as he checked his silver wristwatch, "we have to go. Like, right now. Oyassan is not going to be pleased if we get there late..."

" _Again_ ," commented the other one.

"A-Ah! True, true! I totally forgot! Why?!" sighed Lev. "Just in the moment when I found my soulmate! How unlucky! Ah, the fates are playing against me! Aggh, love is difficult to pursue when you have so many obstacle." He suddenly turned around and looked at Yaku, blowing him a kiss. "Don't worry, my love! We will be reunited soon. I will find you! I just have to go briefly! I will be back before you know it! I will never forget you! I promise!"

Yaku looked quite red (from anger or...something else, Asahi couldn't tell), but all he could do was splutter, "W-What the fuck?"

Then, Lev sprinted out of the coffee shop, drink in hand. The bodyguards shared another quiet look of " _We need a raise_ " and one bodyguard sighed and quickly went to follow Lev. The other one stayed and looked at the still-red Yaku and the completely-befuddled Asahi.

 _I am sorry_ , the bodyguard mouthed, sliding over a few extra yen bills in tips. He nodded respectfully and then headed out, quickly catching up in stride with Lev.

Asahi shyly and discretely pocketed the tip (he needed it, so), and then turned to look at his manager, who had slumped into one of the staff chairs, rubbing his temples tiredly. The red of his face had faded, but it remained in his cheeks, which were a pleasant rouge.

"Fuck," sighed Yaku. "There go the peace and tranquility in my life."

 

* * *

  
"Bro, you need to go back to that coffee shop," Tanaka said firmly one day.

"T-r-u-e!" Bokuto said, enthusiastically slamming his slurpie down on a nearby to make a point.

The two of them, along with Nishinoya, were sitting in the corner of the tattoo parlor, which was temporarily closed in their lunch break. Yachi was curled up in one of the couches a few feet away from them, scrolling through her Pinterest feed and shyly nimbling on a ham and cheese sandwich she had packed for herself. Nishinoya had been talking to them about Asahi, who he had not visited in some time, and was feeling a little guilty about.

"Well, maybe we should get in Nishinoya-san's shoes. If I had done something like that, I wouldn't be capable of even stepping on the same block of the coffee shop, much less enter it," suggested Yachi shyly, looking up from her phone. "Maybe we can give it some more time?"

"Thanks, Hitoka-chan! Good to have someone take my side for once," Nishinoya said, flashing Tanaka and Bokuto a look.

"Time? Hitoka-chan, he's been avoiding the place for like 30 years!" Tanaka groaned. "Bro, don't avoid your destiny! Don't neglect your love life! This is your youth, man. You are only a young - "

"Fertile," added Bokuto cheerfully next to them.

"- _fertile_ man once! Go for it! Seize your opportunities," Tanaka continued. Nishinoya considered signing him up for some university degree that could get him to become a motivational speaker or some sort of psychologist.

He scrunched up his nose. "Ew, you guys. First of all, 'fertile'? What am I, soil?"

"Man, I wish my friend Ushijima were here," Bokuto commented, sipping his slurpie loudly. "He would probably have some sort of cool analogy for you. I don't know, like 'you are a seedling in need of the waters of love' or something."

"Second of all, does he even remember me? For all I know, he could have moved on, he could have-"

"Um, hello, _obviously_? He's the love of your life! You're not just some cactus or something to him. You're the person he's going to spend the rest of your life with. He's obviously going to remember you," Tanaka insisted.

"You are also really memorable," Bokuto grinned. Yachi nodded in agreement.

"And it's not like I'm telling you to marry him or anything. You can just go in the shop, buy a coffee and just say hi. You don't have to start a major conversation or anything. It's just a polite, nice greeting."

"There's no saying what could come next, though," Bokuto pointed out, slurping his drink 'innocently'. Nishinoya gave him a look. "What? I'm just saying. And I'm claiming my rights as best man!"

"Wait, what? No way! We all know _I_ would be the best man."

"Bros..." Nishinoya protested weakly.

"Aw, c'mon, man. I asked and wanted to first, though! I called dibs!"

"You can't just call dibs on being best man! It's not like calling shotgun when going on a road trip or something. The post itself is a calling. A responsibility that comes from birth. I was born to become Yuu's best man. I-!"

"Some coffee _wouldn't_ hurt," suggested Yachi quietly as they bickered, flashing Nishinoya a small smile.

Nishinoya returned the smile and sighed, getting up. He knew what he had to do. He put on his leather jacket, straightened his shirt, and then grabbed his bag, heading towards the door.

"I'm heading out," he announced.

That stopped Tanaka and Bokuto's bickering.

"You're going to the coffee shop?!" grinned Tanaka excitedly.

"Good luck, Nishinoya-san!" Yachi said, giving him two cute thumbs-up.

"You go! Conquer him! Seduce him like a female Barred Owl giving her passionate mating call!" Bokuto cheered.

"You guys," Nishinoya laughed, rolling his eyes. _What would he do without them?_

He headed out of the shop and walked towards the coffee shop, which was not a huge distance away. He suddenly felt self-conscious, standing in front of the Starbucks. His reflection looked back at him and he suddenly felt a pit settle in his stomach. His clothes were crumpled. He looked skinny and miserable. Some bags had settled under his eyes from university all-nighters. He inwardly tore himself apart - why had he decided to come back, especially when he looked so bad? No way Asahi would even pay attention to him.

Eventually though, an elderly woman sniffed at him irritably, claiming he was blocking the way, and he had to summon his courage to enter the door (he didn't stop to keep the door open for the lady though) and step in.

And there he was.

Asahi looked as good as he had always looked. There was a line of customers, and he was currently speaking to a little boy and his mother. A small smile crawled and made its way across Asahi's face, spreading like sunshine. His brown eyes shone with kindness as he took a slice of chocolate cake and gave it to the enthusiastic child. The corners of his eyes crinkled whenever he smiled, and Nishinoya suddenly wondered why he hadn't returned earlier. His attraction hit him like a brick, and he was left standing in the middle of the shop, like an idiot.

After the line had faded and not one customer was in place, Nishinoya finally decided to break out of his lovesick trance and he quietly walked over to the counter. Asahi had gone for some napkins and he returned back to place, already saying his customary words of greeting.

"Welcome to Starbucks, may I take - _hmpfhg_!"

Asahi practically jumped in surprise, and the piles of napkins fell out of his hands, flying all over the place. His cheeks had turned bright red and he started mumbling gibberish, frantically picking up all the fallen napkins. Nishinoya only smiled and knelt down to pick the ones that'd gotten to his side. He stood back up and gave them to Asahi, who was a flushed salmon pink.

"N-Nishinoya! Uh, hi! I-I-Um, thanks!" Asahi smiled nervously, taking the napkins apologetically and stacking them neatly where they were supposed to. "Um, what brings you here?"

"Well, this is a Starbucks. You won't see me trying to buy a lawn mower, will you?" Noya teased lightly.

"I-Yes, of course! S-Sorry," Asahi mumbled.

"And what did I say about Nishinoya? Noya is fine."

"O-Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"And apologizing? Asahi, there's literally no need for you to say 'sorry' every two seconds. If anything, I should be apologizing. I should have said something; I must have really surprised you, just popping out of the blue," Nishinoya joked. But Asahi just looked apologetic, and a little...sad?

"N-No! Not at all! Y-You didn't do anything wrong! I-It was all me! I was just surprised. I thought..." Asahi looked down shyly. "Well, I was surprised to see you again. You never came back. I thought you probably hated me, anyways."

Something tugged at his heartstrings. He suddenly remembered an old Philosophy Seminar he'd listened to, where a guest speaker from Israel to talk about thought processes.

The man, whose Japanese had actually been surprisingly smooth, engraved words in Nishinoya's mind that he would never really forget.

"My grandmother used to call life b'shert," his professor had said. "Because we spend all of our lives looking for things: money, power, immortality, freedom...the list goes on. It's this search for things that philosophers, and even many others, have tried to investigate. But the one type of search that will not ever truly be understood is the search for love, the search for somebody or many people who will complement you just like you complement them."

He had thought it was all bluff back then. Plus, he hadn't been paying attention because he had secretly been on his phone playing Snake. But now, it seemed all so clear now. When somebody looked for other things, people usually had a process. They had steps to achieve and get what they wanted. But love, even with the soulmate marks...was never the same for any two people. Love was bitter, difficult, but sweet, easy. It was ugly, but beautiful. It contradicted, but at the same time, it made sense.

Nishinoya had never thought much about his love life, trusting fate would do its thing, and that he could live in peace. While the people around him had always rejoiced, looking forward to meeting their soulmates, even _crossing oceans_ , Nishinoya had seen all of that as a fuss. He hadn't seen the worth of going so far, hadn't really understood what the hype was about love and relationships. He didn't understand why Bokuto, even with his vague soulmate line, would continuously go out and out, fight and fight, search and search, despite every disappointing rejection he was faced with.

"You know they're your soulmate if your lines match, of course," Taketora had even told him once, dreamily looking at a group of girls who'd passed by them in the university campus, "but you can also tell by the way they look at you. If they're really yours, they'll look at you just right."

Nishinoya now understood what that had meant.

Because Asahi looked at him as if he were the greatest thing in the world.

He looked at him like he were the missing piece he'd always been yearning to find.

"Asahi, I could never hate you," Nishinoya told him.

"...No?"

"Of course not," Nishinoya said softly. "I was just..." _Afraid._ "I was just...nevermind. I needed some time."

Asahi blinked. "O-Oh, okay! T-Time, sure. Everyone needs time. People die when they run out of time. Time is important. Time is of importance. Time-" He buried his head in his hands embarrassedly, realizing he was babbling. "I-I am sorry, I just-"

Nishinoya laughed. "Gosh Asahi, you're so adorable."

Asahi blinked. "Adorable...?"

"You know, cute. Adorable. Endearing. In fact, I..." Nishinoya gathered any courage he could spare, "...think that you are _more_ than just adorable."

"Oh, r-really?"

"Yeah. And I think that if I went on a date with you, it would be a small matter of time before my feelings evolved into something greater."

"Are you a-asking me out?" asked Asahi slowly, eyes widening in wonder.

"Um...yes?" Nishinoya said, not knowing where the request had come from. He'd come here just to buy coffee and greet Asahi, just like Tanaka had said, and now...here he was, asking his possible soulmate on a date. "Maybe...a coffee or something?"

There was a silence, when suddenly, Asahi burst out laughing. And if Nishinoya had felt dizzy just by Asahi's smile, he was ready to get a heart attack from his laughter, low but warm and cheery, rumbling pleasantly.

"Noya, I work in a _coffee shop_. You'd think I'd want to have a date somewhere else!"

Nishinoya couldn't help it. He laughed as well. "D-Does it mean that's a yes?"

"O-Of course it's a yes!" Asahi half-blurted, half-exclaimed. "I-I mean, to be honest, I was feeling a little childish, but I...always had hope?"

He lifted his shirt a little bit (Nishinoya admitted it was a pleasant sight) and just above the line of his pants his soulmate, in his own familiar scrawl, were written the words:

**Holy shit, it's you!**

The very first words Nishinoya had told Asahi.

"No fucking way!" exclaimed Nishinoya, feeling Tanaka's smug gaze at the back of his mind. "So you really were my soulmate? Out of all the Starbucks employees I didn't have to trust?"

"Well, I-"

"Uh, sorry to interrupt you two," a voice said suddenly.

They turned and saw another Starbucks worker, a tall brown-haired man of around their age, looking at them, a little amused, but eyes shining with genuine happiness. He flashed a brief knowing look at Asahi, which eventually switched to its original tiredness as Asahi flushed even more crimson, twiddling with his thumbs idly.

"Ah, F-Futakuchi! I am sorry, I-"

"No problems. But there's a situation in the staffroom."

"W-What happened?!"

"Goshiki got his hand stuck in the sink," the co-worker informed him.

Asahi looked at him confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard him. His hand is stuck in the sink right now. I don't know how, so don't ask me, but Goshiki is Goshiki. Koganegawa and I've tried taking him out, but it's almost impossible. It's in too deep. Yaku is even considering calling a plumber. We think maybe you can help pull him out before we resort to that, though," Futakuchi said, pulling some brown bangs tiredly out of his face.

"O-Oh! O-Okay, I'll be right there," Asahi said.

The man thanked him, nodded at Nishinoya in brief greeting, and disappeared into the staff room, where Nishinoya could hear some vague yelping.

"Seems like they need you," Nishinoya said.

Asahi sighed. "I suppose so."

"Well, I won't be stopping you, then," Nishinoya grinned. Grabbing one of the napkins and a pen that had been randomly put, he quickly scribbled a few digits and passed it over to Asahi once more. "But...I won't stop you from talking to me, yeah? If we're going to a date, we ought to be able to arrange a time and place. Getting coffee would be nice for me, but my wallet would suffer real bad consequences."

"Are you sure this isn't a dream?" Asahi said, his hands picking the napkin gently. He looked at the numbers with awe, as if they held the secrets to the universe. He looked at them inquisitively, still unsure if this was real or just a prank.

"It will be, until we actually go on the date," Nishinoya teased. He flashed him a wink, not knowing where this renewed confidence came from. "Text me soon, will you? I'm a needy man."

Asahi flushed. "O-Of course!"

"Great. I'll see you later, then, Asahi?" Noya asked with a small smile.

"R-Right. L-Later," Asahi replied, feeling a little breathless, a little giddy, but very much in love.

Just like Nishinoya, whose heart beat like thunder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please make sure to check out my new Tumblr account at: [OwlBeDamned](http://bardandminstrel.tumblr.com/) !! :)
> 
> It's confirmed: I'm not dead!
> 
> So so so sorry I stopped writing entirely for like ... four, five months?! I hope you can forgive me!! This school semester was just insane, honestly, both positively and negatively. I went through a whole rollercoaster of stuff, including just THE WORST human being for an English teacher. (I was like 200% disappointed, seeing as English is one of my favorite subjects. Also, I mean, who the heck tells their students the purpose of their class is "to kill [our] creativity"?! wtf??! I could rant crap about that class) Additionally, I had a little bit of a writer's block and was sort of stumped, so I couldn't continue. I recently got inspired though, and was able to make enough progress to regain momentum to finish! Woo hoo!
> 
> Anyways, school's out since yesterday! So right now, we're in winter break. I think in the next two, three weeks I will be able to publish 1-3 more works. Including another installment for this series, so stay tuned!! That'll hopefully be out before Christmas!! 
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed this last part, then! (Haha, this fic is kind of the base for many other future fics to come. Let's discuss the 356 zillion headcanons I have for this fanfic.) Readers are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! :) But kudos, comments and bookmarks are always appreciated too!! Once again, I hope I'm forgiven!! (╯˘ -˘ )╯

**Author's Note:**

> As I didn't want to overwhelm you all with a likely 11,000+ oneshot, I decided to split this into two parts! That's right! The second part should be done some time...next week? 
> 
> I hope you liked this so far! Tell me what you think! Thank you so much for reading. By the way, inaccuracies of the barista life are expected, as I've never worked as one! This also applies to tattoo artists, university students, and much more! 
> 
> Also, who could Tanaka's client, the "shy petite blonde girl who shook like a chihuahua" be? ;)
> 
> And OH I WONDER what other loud, overly-excited first-year could possibly exist to join Moniwa-san's empty spot?


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